Although I’ve intended this blog post to be about free things to do in London with kids, we found that any one of these activities were equally enjoyable as adults. It’s just that our kids particularly liked these excursions. All of which come free of charge, although in some cases we did have to organise things a little in advance.
I’ve loads of pictures here so I’ll gather them into a gallery at the end! Continue reading »

Beaujolais has a borderline continental climate, tempered by the presence of the Massif Central to the west and the Alps to the east. This provides a relatively warm growing season. See Wine-Searcher’s summary (weather and more) of the region here.

So they have ideal weather? Not bad, but it’s not plain sailing. Every farmer keeps an eye on the sky, watching what is coming over them there hills. Continue reading »

I mentioned in Monday’s post how microbreweries don’t seem to take their own stands at Taste of Dublin any more. It is, I’m sure, a very expensive event to attend, and while you’re likely to reach a crowd of punters who are probably not already familiar with your product, I would question how much repeat trade you’re likely to get out of them once the tents are folded and the Iveagh Gardens returned to the citizenry. Continue reading »

Many of us were introduced to Beaujolais through the much marketed Nouveau. Decades ago now, I remember seeing one half of the local Roches Stores (now Debenhams) front window absolutely packed with colourful bottles in November. And the hype was inescapable with all kinds of contrived races set up to be first with the Nouveau in Cork or Ireland.

I’m going to preface this by saying that this is not a how-to guide. If you want to know how to use various social networks there are plenty of tutorials out there. However, if you are a food blogger/business and would like to make the most of social media here are some tips for you.
What/Which Accounts To Use?
I believe in using 3 social media accounts well, and then having a number of other peripheral accounts that you can link to others to make the most out of them. Continue reading »

Get Fired Up At ‘The Big Grill’ International BBQ Festival
Herbert Park from the 11-14 August

Chefs John Relihan (left) from Holy Smoke Cork
and Mark O’ Brien from Barbecoa do some meaty pit work

Celebrate the age-old art of cooking with smoke and fire at the country’s biggest International BBQ event, ‘The Big Grill Festival’, which has its 3rd outing this summer in Herbert Park, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4, from the 11-14 August 2016. Continue reading »

“Oh what a tangled web we weave. When first we practice to deceive.
– Sir Walter Scott”

You are a liar, Sir! You know who you are and I’m calling you out on it. I hope your ears are reddened by being caught out in such a pathetic attempt at misdirection. I didn’t buy it at the time and I’m not buying it now.
For the rest of you, here’s the back story. A chap, whom I know vaguely, and myself were both in a group of people discussing recipes. Continue reading »

“Oh what a tangled web we weave. When first we practice to deceive.
– Sir Walter Scott”

You are a liar, Sir! You know who you are and I’m calling you out on it. I hope your ears are reddened by being caught out in such a pathetic attempt at misdirection. I didn’t buy it at the time and I’m not buying it now.
For the rest of you, here’s the back story. A chap, whom I know vaguely, and myself were both in a group of people discussing recipes. Continue reading »

Over the last few years, Aldi Ireland have established themselves as a regular attendee at Taste of Dublin, which they cleverly use to showcase their range of Irish ingredients. Two years ago I dined on a steak feast inside a wooden hut, while last year’s meal was enjoyed in a space decorated by Peter Kelly, better known as Weddings by Franc.

This year, the theme was Irish seafood, hence the moniker Hooked by Aldi, and the venue was a fun beach-style hut in bright blue and white. Continue reading »

It’s noteworthy, though hardly surprising, that the Taste of Dublin food festival seems to have become largely a preserve of the big bucks brewers. The last time I went, which admittedly was some years ago now, there were at least a handful of micros present in their own right but this year Arthurstown Brewery was the only independent on the list, and I’m sure they’re not short of a bob or two. Continue reading »

If you’re heading from the south to the west or north-west, to the Burren, to Galway, Mayo (Knock for instance), Sligo, or Connemara, or indeed coming in the other direction, then Gort is a good place to stop and refuel and nearby Coole Park a lovely place to stretch those legs.
And speaking of re-fueling, why not try the colourful Galley Café in the Square in Gort. You might just get a parking spot outside the door. Continue reading »

The trick to perfect meatballs is to roast them in the oven before adding the meatballs to the sauce. This is not only a way to render off the fat you sometimes find in the cheaper cuts of meat, but the browning process in the oven adds extra flavour. It’s easy to see why this meal is a hit with my family. Continue reading »

Amuse Bouche
Thanh is in the kitchen preparing our food…. Today’s meal will feature a gelatinous rice-powder ball with burger meat inside. We’ll flavour it with odoriferous fish sauce from a bottle….

It wouldn’t be possible to narrate all that happened to this man in the jagged space between 1975 and 1990, but this would be some of it: they broke his eye-lid, his jaw. They shackled him at the ankle and put him into a box about the size of a man’s coffin.. Continue reading »

“It was nice to mark the 20th anniversary”, said Jack O’Sullivan of Midleton’s Granary when I met him in the restaurant earlier this week. “The Kids Bake-off was a highlight but there was more. Continue reading »

One can measure the progress of the Irish beer sector by the commemorative beers it produces for sporting events. For previous football tournaments it’s only been one or two: Eight Degrees’s Trapattoni Potation for Euro 2012 and JW Sweetman’s Brazil 2014 beer Maracanã. Maybe it’s the presence of the Republic of Ireland team at Euro 2016, but there are three beers out to mark the occasion: one can, one bottle and one cask. Continue reading »

What does an award-winning chef do when faced with the challenge of developing a new restaurant bang in the middle of Dublin city centre? If you’re Oliver Dunne, former holder of a Michelin star at Bon Appetit, you launch a very time-limited pop-up while thinking about the more permanent presence. Continue reading »

Diwald Grüner Veltliner, Grossriedenthaler Löss (Wagram, Austria) 2014, 12.5%, €16.00 Mary Pawle
“We don’t like Coca Cola wines or Glass House tomatoes,” declares this organic pioneer from Austria, their way of saying they prefer to make their wines in the vineyard. Organic it is and it also looks and tastes very much like a well-made classic Gru-Vee.

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Every cook we know loves their iPad (or lusts after one) for clipping, reading and cooking from online recipes right in the kitchen. Well, Clickcase.ie has what may be the ultimate kitchen gadget for iPad lovers: the Speck Handyshell slots around your iPad 2 so it can be hung from any rack, drawer or cabinet knob, keeping your iPad at eye level and safe from spills and mess. Genius!

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This November The Great Irish Bake is back and Kitchen Hero Donal Skehan is helping out with sharing recipes and promoting the event. The Great Irish Bake is in aid of helping sick and seriously ill children get the treatment they need. Head over to The Great Irish Bake to register online and be in the chance of winning a trip to New York when you help raise funds for Temple Street Children’s University Hospital. The site also has hints, tips, recipes and all that goes with an event like this.

This is the Facebook for The Great Irish Bake and of course the Twitter hashtag is: #thegreatirishbake

The Great Irish Bake organisers have shared a recipe with us and also a picture of Donal Skehan with his kids from his first marriage. Some of this might be a lie.

The Method
1. Preheat the oven to 180C and line a baking tray with parchment paper.
2. In a standalone mixture beat together the butter and sugar. Add in the egg and
mix through.
3. Using a wooden spoon mix through the flour, baking powder, salt, mixed spice
and vanilla extract until you have a biscuit dough.
4. Turn the dough out on to a floured surface and roll out to about 1cm in thickness.
5. Cut out biscuit shapes, place on the lined baking tray, then using a smaller cutter
or a small knife cut out the center of each cookie.
6. Sprinkle the crushed sweets into the centre of the cookie and place in the oven
7. Cook in the oven for about 15 minutes.
8. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly before transferring to a wire
wrack.

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